"13 episodes was always what I signed up to do," she said. "That was the plan all along. I never had any intention of staying longer than 13 episodes.

"That got really emotionally difficult toward the end because I didn't want to go. But Katie and I fell in love with this other project and I knew the time was right."

Tamblyn admitted that she was "in tears" when she discovered that House star Hugh Laurie had thrown her a surprise party for her departure, but reiterated her commitment to having a progressive career.

"I like to jump around a lot," she said. "I feel this way a lot about projects... I don't like to get comfortable where I am. I think it's dangerous to be too comfortable in what you're doing."

House airs on Mondays at 8/7c on Fox in the US and on Thursdays at 10pm on Sky1 in the UK.